Anderson Named Athlete of the Week

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University volleyball freshman outside hitter Jordan Anderson has been named the Varsity Sport Report Athlete of the Week.

Anderson continued her stellar play this season, leading the Mountaineers to a 3-0 record this weekend and to the Eagle Challenge championship. The freshman outside hitter had 12 kills and 14 digs, her fifth double-double of the season, in a win against the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Morehead State on Friday night. Anderson came right back Saturday morning with 15 kills on 41 attempts for a .244 hitting percentage and eight digs in a win over Campbell. On Saturday evening, the Flower Mound, Texas, native went head-to-head with Hampton’s Vendula Strakova, who ranked fourth nationally in kills entering the weekend. Anderson didn’t disappoint, recording career-highs in kills (17), digs (15) and blocks (5), while leading WVU to a thrilling five set victory over the Lady Pirates, and a program-best 10-0 start to the season.

Through 10 matches, Anderson ranks third in the Big 12 in kills, third in points and 10th in digs. She leads all freshmen in each category, and was named to the Eagle Challenge All-Tournament team.

This Week in Women’s SoccerNo. 10 West Virginia University welcomes Richmond to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Friday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. ... the Mountaineers will conclude nonconference play at home against Wright State on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m.

Last Week in Women’s SoccerWVU blanked Eastern Kentucky, 4-0, on Friday, Sept. 13 ... the Mountaineers dropped their first contest at home to Kentucky, 4-2, on Sunday, Sept. 15.

Notes & QuotesSenior forward Frances Silva’s point streak continued, tallying an assist against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 13 and a goal against Kentucky on Sept. 15 ... freshman forward Ashley Lawrence scored her first-career goal against EKU on Sept. 13, and also recorded one assist ... junior forward Kate Schwindel tallied four points over the weekend, scoring a goal in both matches ... sophomore defender Cari Price brought her season point total to seven after scoring her third goal this season ... freshman midfielder Tessa Broadwater scored her first-career goal against EKU on Sept. 13 ... sophomore forward Annalika Steyn notched two assists over the weekend, one in each match.

Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown: “I do think it’s definitely a momentum-type of feel that we needed to address. I thought the girls battled after that, but then we got punished again on the same mistake. Unfortunately, we can’t have mental errors. A team like Kentucky can finish those errors because they’re that good. That’s going to hurt us down the road. We need to make sure we clean up what we’re doing with the ball.”

This Week in Men’s SoccerThe Mountaineers will return to Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, for a match against non-conference foe Michigan … the Mountaineers and Wolverines will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

Last Week in Men’s SoccerWest Virginia now has an overall record of 3-2-1, including a 1-1-0 mark last week … on Friday in Morgantown, WVU won 2-1 over Wright State before falling 1-0 at No. 12 St. John’s on Sunday evening.

Notes and QuotesAgainst Wright State, WVU went down 1-0 early, but a goal from junior Andy Bevin in the 24th minute tied the match and the game-winner came in the 70th minute from sophomore Majed Osman to lead the Mountaineers to victory … adding assists was Osman and freshmen Christian Diaz, Griffin Libhart and Alex Ochoa … against St. John’s, WVU held the shot advantage at 12-11, but let in a soft goal in the 24th minute and was never able to make a comeback … Bevin led all players with five shots, while Osman and senior Jay Williams took two apiece.

Coach Marlon LeBlanc: “We gave up a soft goal and its becoming too much of a trend right now. We were fantastic tonight. It’s unfortunate that someone has to lose a game like this. The second 45 was about as well as we’ve played all year and we put them under a lot of pressure.”

This Week in VolleyballThe WVU volleyball team will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., to take on Duquesne on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m ... West Virginia will be back home this weekend to host the Gold & Blue Players Challenge at the WVU Coliseum from Friday, Sept. 20, through Sunday, Sept 22.

Last Week in VolleyballThe Mountaineers posted a 3-0 weekend and won the Eagle Challenge in Morehead, Ky. ... Anna Panagiotakopoulos was named the MVP of the weekend, while registering a career-high 28 digs in a win over Hampton on Saturday ... WVU is 10-0 and off to its best start in program history.

Notes & QuotesWest Virginia is the final unbeaten team in the Big 12 .... The Mountaineers are 30-4 in sets this season, including seven sweeps ... WVU leads the Big 12 in blocks ... freshman Jordan Anderson has earned the Rookie of the Week honor each of the past two weeks.

This Week in Cross CountryWest Virginia University returns to Lehigh University on Oct. 5 for the Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa.

Last Week in Cross CountryThe Mountaineers finished eighth at the Penn State University Spiked Shoe Invitational ... sophomore Paige Szabat led the way for the Mountaineers, crossing the finish line in 30th place ... the 22:44 time is a new personal record for Szabat.